On the Edge of the Abyss
by SniperCT
Summary: Sombra has always remained one step ahead of the darkness. Talon used her technology and skills to condition Widowmaker, but she left a back door. And it's time to open it, before she stares too long into the abyss.


There was an old saying. To not stare too long into the abyss for fear that it might look back. Information was a lot like that, and Sombra had been bitten by it when she'd stared too long. Now she remained one step ahead of the darkness, desperate to find the thing that had ruined her life. It was a secret worth killing for and some nights she could feel the weight on her back like a thousand pound gorilla with glasses. Most nights she didn't let it show, not even to herself. Tonight had been one of reflection and she felt a little morose.

"So how was your date?" Sombra pushed her desk chair back from her desk, spinning in it as Widowmaker entered the room.

"He did not talk much." Widowmaker took off her belt and laid it on the table, then folded her jacket and set it down as well. "Merci, for the use of your jacket.

"Did you leave a rose?" Sombra asked, feigning disinterest.

She froze. "Ugh. I would ask how you know that but you would not give me a good answer."

Peddling her feet on the ground, Sombra wheeled her chair closer to Widowmaker as the assassin continued to strip out of her gear. "You do it every year. Same day. Same routine. Always take a mission in France this time of year. Don't need to be a hacker to notice."

Widowmaker leaned on the table, palms flat against the wood. "Non?"

"Don't worry, I always make sure no one else notices. Besides, I've got some blackmail on Reyes."

"Reaper would not talk."

"No? Are you sure about that?"

"Careful, Sombra. You have secrets too." Frowning, Widowmaker shook her head and took a seat to field strip her weapons. Sombra watched her for a moment longer, then peddled back to her desk and computer. It wouldn't do to stare too long. Seven red eyes might look back.

It was a game. At least it had started as one. In the process of staying ahead of her pursuers, she'd accepted Talon's offer. It had seemed like a good idea. Better access, better technology, allies to watch her back. She'd ended up with friends, even if they sometimes acted like they hated her.

Glancing at Widowmaker, Sombra let her smile fade. "Did you feel anything?"

Pausing as she cleaned a spring, Widowmaker stared forward into space. Her throat bobbed. "Of course not." She resumed what she was doing, setting the spring on the table and picking up the barrel.

"Of course." Sombra turned back to the desk, swiping her hand up to activate the holo display. She stared at the string of data, then pinched it and dragged it into a secure file.

"I cannot remember his voice."

Sombra looked back at Widowmaker.

"Not the inflection, or the exact tone. It has been replaced." Or perhaps lost.

"Overwritten, kind of like a file?"

"Oui." Widowmaker leaned back in her chair, not sure why she was sharing this or why it mattered that she was. "It does not matter."

"All right, it doesn't matter." Sombra shrugged. "If you're cold there's a sweater I found or you could just wear my jacket again."

It was all lies. It mattered, that sort of thing always did. They lied to each other, they lied to themselves and a lot of the time they didn't know they were even doing it. Sombra watched as Widowmaker finished cleaning her weapon, and put it aside. She watched as she squeezed out of that impossible catsuit and into the oversized and obnoxious sweater Sombra had picked up. Sombra felt a little surge of delight and hoped Gabe wore the one she got him.

Widowmaker laid down on the couch, and Sombra absently swiped the display to move it in front of her so she could keep an eye on Widowmaker as she worked. She brought the code back up again. It might be too soon for her plans to start moving. Or it might be too late. Or maybe it was the right time. It was hard to tell, but she didn't think it could wait much longer.

Widowmaker was a light sleeper. She'd been programmed that way. But when she slept she saw the things she'd forgotten about. Tonight was something new. Tonight she saw a face that shouldn't have been there. It floated at the edges of her vision as her mind shattered over and over again, the shards grinding like glass on the pavement.

Clawing her way to consciousness, Widowmaker slipped out of bed like a wolf on the prowl and loomed up behind Sombra. She waited until just before Sombra could sense someone was there, then grabbed her by the throat and lifted her out of the chair. Slamming her into the wall, she pressed close to lock Sombra's limbs. "You were _there_."

Sombra gestured at her throat, and Widowmaker's grip loosened. "I didn't know what they were using my program for until it was too late."

The hand tightened around her throat again, and then Widowmaker let go. Sombra dropped to her knees, rubbing her throat. " _Dios mio_ , I think I'm a little turned on."

Widowmaker snorted, and nudged her knee with her foot. "Talk."

Sombra looked up into the barrel of her own gun. "Ah, I'm happy to talk, but that's programmed to my biometrics so no one else can use it."

Tossing the gun aside, Widowmaker lifted Sombra up. It was patently ridiculous and yet Widowmaker managed to still be threatening in a giant green snowflake sweater. Sombra wasn't afraid. She trusted Widowmaker. They were teammates, and friends. Still, it was probably a good idea not to laugh. She smirked. "I was gonna talk anyway no worries. But we can talk like regular people, and not here."

Not many people treated Widowmaker like a person and fewer still made her _feel_ like one. She put Sombra down. "Fine."

"I'm feeling like a peppermint mocha." Sombra headed over to the desk and pressed a button on her computer. The display vanished, and she picked it up. It was small enough to fit into one of her coat pockets, and she secured it while waiting for Widowmaker to put pants on.

It was snowing as they stepped onto the street. Sombra glanced around, then crossed it. Widowmaker's long stride made it seem as though she were keeping up with her with zero effort. That was fine. The quicker they got this over with the sooner Sombra could bury her guilt back down.

Sombra led Widowmaker across another street. Something sparked suddenly and Widowmaker shuddered, grabbing her head. Sombra caught her as she fell and lifted her onto her shoulder. Widowmaker was surprisingly light. "I'm sorry my friend but this is the only way."

Widowmaker came to in a dimly lit room. Something was in her mouth, preventing her from biting down, and she was strapped to a chair. For three seconds panic threatened to consume her. She waited for the pain, for the knife in the back of her mind, but it didn't come. She looked up as Sombra stepped into the single light.

"There's a back door." She tapped the back of Widowmaker's head. "When I realized what they were going to do, I added it to the program. A back door, and a deep, deep storage."

Shrugging, Sombra took the bit out of Widowmaker's mouth. "I don't know how much is left of who you were before, but I do know that we can break Talon's hold on you. That is, if you want to."

"They will kill you for this, _I_ will kill you for this, and I will _enjoy_ it!"

"I thought you didn't feel anything." Sombra laughed, leaning forward until they were nose to nose.

Widowmaker went stiff.

"There it is. Think about it a little more. About that little piece of your soul that's still there." Sombra's eyes were shadowed by some kind of sadness and a part of Widowmaker almost wanted to respond to it. But something else bothered her more.

"If there is this back door, why can I not feel for Gerard?" There was a sad, almost plaintive note in Widowmaker's voice.

Sombra cupped her face. "I think you still do, you just don't remember how to associate feelings with old images. I don't know if I can fix that. Or if even you can."

The touch lingered, and Widowmaker was silent for a moment. "You did not kill Satya Volskaya. You had the chance. She was in your sights. I saw it."

"You didn't turn me in."

"I wanted to know what you were up to, first."

Smiling, Sombra booped Widowmaker's nose. It was a little different, lacking the impact it had had on Volskaya, but she'd discovered she liked doing it. She liked it even better when Widowmaker wrinkled her nose. "There was a part of you that doesn't trust Talon either."

"I trust them, they made me who I am." When Sombra didn't respond to that, Widowmaker started to repeat it. And then stopped herself. They made her who she was.

"Oh," Sombra said for her. She let go of Widowmaker's face. "If I untie you will you try to kill me again?"

"I was not trying to kill you."

Sombra touched her throat. "No, I don't mean then. I mean when I brought you in here." She displayed a deep bite mark on her arm.

A frown settled on Widowmaker's face. "I do not...remember this."

"That's reassuring." Sombra unstrapped Widowmaker. "I can break some of the programming, but we need to lay low for another twenty-four hours before reporting in." It would give her enough time to make sure Talon couldn't reassert control over Widowmaker. "It won't be an easy, or short process."

"And then what?"

"And then we pretend everything is normal, and follow orders."

"Is that it?" Widowmaker sneered. "I thought you had some kind of plan."

"I do." Sombra squeezed Widowmaker's arm. "Like I said, this will take time. There's something really big coming, bigger than Talon, bigger than everything. You help me with that and I'll help you be free."

"What if I do not want to be free?"

But she was lying, even to herself. Because now doubt had been planted. Questions were asked that needed answers. She looked into Sombra's eyes, and wondered what the other woman had seen. Widowmaker was on the edge of the abyss, afraid of what she would see when she looked into the darkness.

Never one to be afraid, Widowmaker looked into Sombra's eyes and wondered what would look back. "Whatever you are going to do, do it."


End file.
